Skorpios: A new Technical Environmental Study for the investment has been approved

The licenses of the Ministry of Environment and Energy for the transformation of the island of Skorpios into a luxury resort are in progress. Last Friday, the ministry’s Environmental Licensing Directorate signed the approval of a new Technical Environmental Study (TE.PE.M) as the design of the construction site was modified, which serves the construction of the small port in the area of ​​Panagitsa, the management of the seabed, as well as the time planning of the construction works of the Luxury Tourist Unit on Skorpios.

The private island of Aristotle Onassis bought by Russian tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2013 will be turned into a VIP Exclusive Club. It is noteworthy that, based on the architectural study for the project on Skorpios (in the context of the implementation of the strategic investment, owned by Mycenae SA) which was approved by the Central Council of Architecture about a year ago, 9 “building units” are provided for. The strategic investment is limited to the area of ​​800 acres of the island and has a budget of about 165 million euros.

The first building unit will include the main tourist complex with a presidential suite, the existing Pink House as well as the villas of the main tourist complex. The second will include the so-called “remote villas” while the third section includes a Multipurpose Center and Sports Facilities which is located in a central location on Skorpios where similar uses existed in the past.

On the east beach, bathers’ service facilities are expanding. A new waiting area will be created in the manager’s villa near the helipad, replacing the existing structure which is being demolished. Also two more building units (sixth and seventh) will include existing and new buildings as well as the new Equestrian Center in the southwestern part of the island. The Hill House remains in a spot overlooking the… endless azure sea and the surrounding islands. Also, the Amphitheater has been designed in the investment as a place for events.

Based on the architectural study, bathing service facilities for the south beach, port facility, helipad, farm, church, agricultural crops, the Panagitsa pier and a greenhouse are envisaged. The principles of bioclimatic design are adopted throughout the investment plan.

According to the new Technical Environmental Study and given that the construction of the project will be done in phases, to minimize environmental pressures on the natural environment of the area, the required construction sites will operate exclusively for a certain period of time, based on the schedule which has now been extended due to the pandemic emergency. The initial schedule envisages completion of the project at the end of 2023, in order to receive the first guests in 2024.

Due to the sensitive ecosystem, the environmental study of the project foresees that the construction works of the technical projects that may affect the marine environment must be supervised by specialized scientists, in order to ensure the protection of Poseidonia grasslands. In areas where sea currents are not strong, sludge trap curtains will be used to limit the dispersion of sediment during the construction phase of port and marine engineering projects.

For construction sites, restoration techniques should ensure that the environmental impact of the construction work and the restoration of the landscape are minimized as much as possible, or that landscaping is created in the areas that were degraded during the construction phase. Also, after the completion of the construction works on the construction sites, the slopes should be protected from corrosion, the ground should be restored and it should be returned to its original condition.